


Testing out your patience but I'm here for it

by charons_boat



Series: Curses Upon the Innocent [4]
Category: TXT (Korea Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: CatHybrid!Beomgyu, CatHybrid!Kai, CatHybrid!Soobin, CatHybrid!Taehyun, Curses, Fighting, Fights, Fist Fights, Ghost!Jisung, Ghost!Joonho, Ghost!Yujin, Ghosts, Hybrids, Implied Past Abuse, Kidnapped, M/M, Magic, MouseHybrid!Jisung, Possession, Rude - Freeform, Scar, Stealing, Storm - Freeform, Witch!Joonho, Witches, adult bullying, ghost hunter, ghost!jeongin - Freeform, is that just violence?, past death, sick, witch!yoongi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:28:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21686032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charons_boat/pseuds/charons_boat
Summary: He was the King before he was cursed. Now he wanders the streets like a common beggar. Despite his near-death, he just can't seem to avoid trouble. It follows him wherever he goes.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Qian Kun, Choi Soobin/Lu Han
Series: Curses Upon the Innocent [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1542079
Comments: 9
Kudos: 8





	1. make room for me

**Author's Note:**

> I'll probably add more tags later on!! I doubt I've covered everything. Please note that I don't believe Kai(TXT) behaves this way, it's mostly from some of the lyrics of the song that inspired this series!!

My life began as an alley cat, roaming the backways and secret paths of Seoul. I was the king of Seoul's alleys, because I was the biggest, meanest cat in the area. I was a black tabby with a scar through my right eye. And even after I got that scar and became limited to half my original field of view, I was still unbeatable.

Until I was picked up by a human who smelled of sulfur and death while I was napping in the sunniest spot in all the alleys, a rusty little barrel in an old parking lot no longer used by humans. The woman just picked me up and threw me in a bag, and when I was finally let out, I was in a cage with dozens of other cats. Cats I'd once fought, cats I'd once run off, cats who'd once been insignificant in every way compared to me. I was now on their level, just an animal in a cage, and I hated every second of it.

The awful-smelling woman went down the row of cages, looking and examining, stopping ever so often and muttering a few words. The cats she stopped in front of went crazy once she moved on, and the closer she got, the more I hoped she'd leave me alone.

But of course she didn't. She stopped in front of me and eyes me for a long minute, her gaze trailing over every inch of my body, eventually stopping to look at my eyes, the one scarred and shut and the other a golden tan, my pupil dilated in fear. Her red lips curled up in a smile, and she muttered more words, more than she'd said to any of the others, and the longer she talked, the more I seemed to understand her. I didn't like what I heard.

Fear flooded through my body; fear of what was to come, fear of the strange tension in the air. I could nearly feel the odd sensation of energy thrumming through the air. I felt breath down my neck, even though none of the other cats were close enough for me to feel anything like that from them.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed when I saw the first ghost. It was just there when I woke up one morning, uncomfortable from another night spent in my cage. I was one of the only ones still in a cage, and I continued to stay there even as the woman, the witch, let the others out one by one, day by day. I didn't understand why I was still locked up while they were let back out on the streets. Was it because I refused to play nice? Was I still here because I hissed and batted at her hands daily?

The first ghost was soon joined by a second, and then a third, and they moved forward, closer to me, even as I backed farther away into my cage. They were whispering, and as much as I wanted to just ignore them, I couldn't help but listen to what they were saying.

_It hurts. Make it stop. I didn't mean to. It wasn't supposed to be like that. The rocks just fell out from under me. Let me go._

They sounded scared, and desperate. They wanted help, but help wasn't something I could give to them. I was too scared by them to even think very clearly.

And then the witch shoved her face in them, and they screamed with pain. She either couldn't hear them or she just ignored them in favor of staring at me with a feral grin on her face. I hissed at her and backed further into the metal cage, but she opened the little door and put her hands in, not even flinching as I clawed at her hands wildly. Her hands closed around my ribcage and pulled me outside the cage, through the ghosts waiting outside my cage. They grabbed at me as she pulled me into her arms, and I was frozen in her arms by the terror and uncertainty of what I was supposed to do. This vile woman had ahold of me and the ghosts' grasping hands were mussing up my fur, and my heart was hammering as she walked towards the door to the outside.

She dropped me once I we were outside and I feel gracelessly, stumbling around at the feeling of solid ground under my paws. I was still a big cat, but I'd lost a lot of weight in her care, and I was feeling it now. The ghosts had followed me outside, and I shrieked when one latched onto my tail. I tried to run from them, but they followed, ceaselessly and without error, no matter where I went. I fled Seoul and hopped onto the bumper of a car, flattening myself against the back of the car and trying my hardest to stay on. When it stopped, I jumped off and ran away from the car before the driver could see me.

Even in Daegu, the ghosts were still there, still grabbing me and speaking to me. Even worse was the fact that arriving in Daegu had attracted a fourth ghost, this one with mouse ears on his head and a long, thin tail. And I wondered, what are the ears and tail of a brown mouse doing on this ghost?

I found out later that night, when I turned into a human for the first time, complete with the ears and tail I'd had my whole life as a cat. I shivered in the cold rain, not used to being so big. I'd tried to hide in a broken down house on the outskirts of the city, but what was left of the roof wasn't enough to shield my human body. I'd never felt so vulnerable before, and I'd never hated the rain so much. It had always been the lightning and thunder that scared me before, the loud noises and bright lights. I'd always been able to hide from the cold rain that now hit my pale skin with a force that seemed too strong for mere rain.

Even worse was the fact that the wind blew incessantly, chilling me further, making me colder and colder. The four ghosts were huddled up in the corner, watching me shiver with sad eyes. They'd tried to get close to me earlier, but even though I was cold and lonely, I hissed at them. They'd been watching me from their corner ever since.

I knew that if I'd changed from a cat into a human, then there must be some way to change back. But between the storm and my shivering, I couldn't focus long enough to figure it out. I eventually curled up on the floor and shivered my way into an uneasy sleep, one which was broken intermittently when a particularly loud clap of thunder would roll through the sky.


	2. they can never imagine me acting cute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somehow, he'd never been sick before. He'd always been protected by his fur before, but now the storm was raging and he couldn't change back. 
> 
> It was so cold, but he was burning up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of being sick

When I woke up, the sun was shining in my eyes. I groaned and stretched out, still human. Only now I wasn't desperately cold, I was burning hot, and I wasn't sure which one was worse. The ghosts were in a pile in the corner, passed out. I sat up and leaned against the wall, staring blankly at a dead tree I could see through an empty window. I curled in on myself farther as I felt a hand stroking my hair. I whined and tried to shake it off weakly, but it didn't work. And finally, I broke down and cried.

The ghosts gathered around me and tried to comfort me, hugging me and running barely there hands through my hair and down my back. When I calmed down after what felt like hours, I whimpered just a little. 

"I'm hot," I whined. "It hurts."

And the ghosts cast glances at each other, until one sighed, and bit his lip, and leaned forward just a bit.

"He's sick. The storm made him sick. It happened to me too, when I first changed into my human form. I couldn't change back because I was sick. I'd have gotten too hot and died almost immediately if I'd changed into a mouse again, so my body wouldn't let me change back. He needs medicine. We need to get him medicine somehow," the ghost with the mouse parts said. It barely registered. 

"How are we supposed to do that? We're barely here, the only reason we can even touch him is because of his curse."

"He needs to eat too, what are we going to cook with? There's nothing here, just that dead tree and other houses like this."

"Maybe a medium?"

"Yeah, a medium! Who knows how to find one though?"

There was silence. 

"Okay, nevermind then."

"Couldn't we possess something?"

"Oh, good idea! Possess the bottle for the medicine maybe, so that way we don't screw it up. And we could possess an animal or a person or something and carry the food here!"

"Couldn't we just possess him?"

"First, no that's not nice. He'd hate us, and it matters in this case because he can see us. Second, he's naked, and humans don't like other humans who are naked."

"Are you sure that's how that works?"

"Yes, humans detest other naked humans!"

"Okay then. Who's going to stay with him?"

"I can."

"Okay, let's go."

Three of the ghosts crouched down in front of me while the fourth kept stroking my hair.

"Hey, we're going to go get some stuff. If some random people come here, don't worry. It'll just be us, we have to carry some food here for you. And medicine," one of the ghosts said. I stared at him, trying to process his words.

"We're stupid, we can just use the humans to buy his medicine, and then we can carry it here with the food."

"Oh. Right."

And then they were gone, like dust in the wind. The light pressure running through my hair kept going, and ever so often the ghost whispered to me.

"It'll be alright."

"We won't let you die."

"I won't let you go the way I did."

"I know we can't do much for you, and I know that the others scared you at first. They told me about you last night."

"We're here for you. As long as we're near you, we're going to try our best to help you."

It was a bunch of reassurances like that, little things that slowly relaxed me. I calmed down to the point that I fell asleep. 

I woke up to the scent of three unfamiliar humans and a whole lot of food. The humans sat down in front of me and unpacked one of the boxes of food. They made me take the medicine first, and then they let me eat as much as I could. They kept the apples around for later and wrapped them up in a cloth, to keep bugs out. Once I'd eat everything I could, they went to take the humans back. I took another nap while they were gone.

When everyone was gathered up in the house again, I munched on an apple and motioned to everyone to sit in a circle. I finished it and threw it outside, through the empty frame of the third wall. I fiddled with my fingers and bit my lip, keeping my gaze on the ground as the ghosts waited for me to speak.

"So, I'm not sure what's happened to me, or why I can see you and talk to you and feel you. I'm sorry I tried to run away from you at first. You just wanted help. You still want to help, and yea, you're all trying to help me. You're possessing people and taking their food and trying to keep me from dying, even though I was so rude at first. But you scared me, and I didn't know what to do. This has never happened to me before. And I think that I'd like to maybe… try and be friends with you guys. Since you're all I have," I said. The ghosts smiled and nodded.

"Hey, don't worry. It's okay. We get it. Just, be glad we try to show our human forms and not our ghost forms," one of them chuckled. I stared at him, my eyebrows furrowing up in confusion.

"Ghost form," I asked. The ghosts nodded. 

"Yeah, ghosts generally have two forms. One that just shows them as people, and the other that shows the way they looked when they died," the ghost explained. 

"That's a thing," I asked, the shock evident in my voice. The ghosts nodded.

"Hmm, so, as the one with the least history with you and the one who's most similar, I'll introduce myself first. I'm Park Jisung. I was a mouse hybrid. Do you know what hybrids are," the ghost with the mouse parts asked. I shook my head. "Okay, hmm well. Hybrids happen when witches curse animals. I was cursed with overgrowth. I think normally, mouse hybrids are pretty small in their human forms, but I got really tall because of my curse. I actually grew too much too fast, and I ended up going into my human form way too early. I got caught in a storm, like you, but I didn't have anyone else so I got sick and died."

"Oh. I'm sorry that happened to you," I said quietly. He just gave a little smile and raised his hands. They were really big, and I realized that it must be due to the overgrowth curse he had. He really did seem too big to be a mouse. 

"I'm Yang Joonho. I was a witch. I got killed, but I don't quite remember how. All I know is that my ghost form is really gross, and I scared a whole lot of kids before I figured out how to look like myself and not my corpse," said a ghost with red hair. He had pretty brown eyes and high cheekbones. I wondered how bad his death had been for a face like that to scare kids. The next ghost to speak up had sandy blond hair, high cheekbones like Joonho, dark brown eyes, and braces.

"I'm Yang Jeongin. I think I died while someone was beating me up. I don't look anywhere near as bad as Joonho, I'm just all bruised and a little bloody. Oh, and sometimes I can remember bits of my past, if I try really hard," he said. He didn't look very old. 

"And I'm Hong Yujin. Pretty sure I just fell off of something during a hike," said a ghost with faded purple hair. He was wearing what looked like hiking clothes. 

"I'm glad to meet you all, though I wish it could've been in a different circumstance. I… I think I had an owner once, when I was a kitten. I guess you can call me Kai, like they did," I said. 

"Don't worry, Kai. We're going to take care of you," Joonho said. I smiled briefly before I sneezed and fell into a fit of coughs.

They hadn't lied though. They did take care of me. They possessed humans every day and brought me food, and once I was feeling better, they used the humans' money to buy me some clothes. We talked about what we were going to do after I was better. Among all the options available, such as going to a different city, staying here and fixing up the house, and exploring the area around the house, we chose to go explore Daegu. 

So we gathered all my clothes into the backpack that Jeongin had found in another house, bundled up the last three apples, and set out on the journey farther into the city. In the light of the morning, the houses looked different. They seemed more benevolent, more open and friendly. I was almost sad to leave the broken house we'd been in. Without realizing it, the place felt like home. More than any alley I'd ever been king of, that broken house felt like my home. 

Like the ghosts had suggested, I hid my ears in my hair and wrapped my tail around my waist as we got closer to town. I wondered what people would think of the scar over my right eye. I wondered what they'd think of the ratty backpack and thrift store clothing. 

I should have wondered what the possessed humans would remember.


	3. my friends say, get some manners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight was nothing very serious. He'd been in plenty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I don't believe this is how Kai does or would act!! Please enjoy my ocs, they're originally from skmethibg else I haven't posted yet, but some day 👀

We were walking down the sidewalk, stopping at some stores and looking into the windows. I chatted happily with the four ghosts, forgetting the I was the only one that could see them. People whispered about me as we passed, about how their children should ignore the crazy homeless boy and how they thought I should get help. I ignored them though, because they didn't understand like I did. They didn't see the ghosts like I did. 

I slept on benches at night, usually in my human form. I had come to prefer my human form over my cat form, because being a cat reminded me of the witch and her cages. I was different than Jisung in that, because he'd preferred his mouse form when he was alive, and it made him sad sometimes that he couldn't get into anymore. 

I was napping on a bench one afternoon when I smelled strangers coming towards me. I was in my human form, like I usually was. I hummed and opened my eyes slowly, stretching and blinking my tiredness away. I looked at the strangers with interest veiled by aversion. I made a show of glaring at them slightly, wondering why they looked familiar. They stormed up to me, all three of them, and as I stared at the blond it hit me. These were the people that Yujin, Joonho, and Jeongin had possessed to take care of me while I was sick. 

I sighed and closed my eyes, hoping they'd go away if I ignored them. They did no such thing, and instead grabbed my hair and pulled me upright. I hissed and spat at them, shocking them with the cat noises as my ears lay flat against my head. I snarled and swiped at the hands fisted in my hair, and the one holding onto me let go with a yelp. The three men all glared at me. 

"Who the fuck are you, and what did you do to us," shouted the one I'd scratched. I scoffed and fixed my hair carefully, as my scalp still felt tender. I hissed shortly at them and rolled my eyes. 

"I don't know what you're talking about. All I was doing was taking a nap on the bench," I said. 

"Oh, really? Then how do you explain our memories of seeing you curled up in a house, naked no less, and finding money and food missing when we woke up and thought it was just a dream," one of the other men shouted indignantly. I shook my head.

"What are your names," I asked, my voice low with anger. 

I'm Kim Hongjoong," said the one I'd scratched. He had a freaky looking hair cut, longer in the back. I hated it. "The other two are my friends, Yang Seungwoo and Gyo Insoo." He pointed at them as he said their names. Insoo was the other one who'd yelled at me, and Seungwoo had blond hair that seemed about as healthy as straw. I hummed, not impressed.

"Well, Hongjoong, Seungwoo, and Insoo, I haven't got a clue what you're talking about. I've just been wandering around the city and sleeping on benches. If you guys all had a collective dream about me being naked, well then… that seems like a personal problem. I'm done, bye," I said with a cocky smile. They frowned as I stood up and stretched more, preparing to walk away from the park and the very angry men my ghost friends had taken over once upon a time. 

Sadly, I didn't make it more than a few feet away from them before Hongjoong tackled me and pinned me to the ground. 

"Look, I don't know what kinda freak you are, but I don't care what noises you can make or how clever you think you are! We know you did something to us, and we know you stole our money! Give it back," he shouted into my ear. 

"First you pull my hair, then you yell at me and tackle me to the ground when I try to go about my own life, and then you accuse me of stealing? Wow, you people really will go to great lengths just to make yourselves feel like real men. This is the only way you can feel strong, right? By pinning cripples to the ground and shouting at them in public? You sure you didn't have weird dreams after someone picked your pockets? Cause that seems more likely to me," I said, a cruel smile on my lips. The man above me blushed bright red and pushed off of me, scoffing in disbelief. I stood up and brushed off my pants, examining the dirt and grass stains in the old denim. I tsked.

"Look at this mess you made. This was my best pair of pants too. How disappointing," I said. All three men were practically vibrating with anger. 

"You better stop talking, you rude bastard, before I-"

"Before you what? You gonna hit me, huh? Go ahead, go for my blindspot. Hit me, you insecure-"

It was Seungwoo who punched me, the one who hadn't talked yet. He hit me hard, and I stumbled back and fell over. I held my hand to my jaw for a moment before laughing. Short, empty of any humor. 

"You hit harder than I expected. Too bad I've had worse," I said, pointing at the scar over my eye, "because that almost impressed me. My turn, hm?"

And I threw a punch at him. He was a good four inches shorter than me, and I had a few pounds on him. I hit him harder than he hit me, and he shouted in pain as he went down. I laughed as his friends helped him up. 

"You small fuckers always feel like you've got something to prove," I said haughtily. They glared at me and opened their mouths to say something, but then they looked behind me and their faces fell and went white. I looked where they were looking, and I saw a man with mint green hair walking towards me, followed by two tall men and one very short one. The man leading was shorter than everyone but the little blond one skipping along. I looked back in front of me to see that the three men had left. I sat back down on the bench and looked for the four ghosts that were usually around me. They were laughing, completely oblivious to the other group of men now coming towards us. 

When they stood in front of me, they seemed marginally calmer than the other men had been. The man in front looked over me as I stared at the men behind him. Two of the three were loaded up with accessories. The shorter one wore a lot of noise making bracelets, anklets, and earrings, while the other had almost every type of jewelry imaginable, covering nearly every open surface on his body. The third, the tallest one, had only a leather necklace with a pretty rock on it. I turned to Jisung. 

"What's up with all the stuff hanging off those two? Is it common among hybrids," I asked the ghost. I eyed the tears and kinks in the ears and tail of the hybrid that only had the necklace. 

"Well, kinda. They're like gifts from either this witch or other ones who've had them before," Jisung said. I nodded. 

"That's nice. It'd probably tick me off to wear so much stuff like that, don't ya think," I asked the boy. His face worse conflicting expressions. 

"I'm not sure. I mean, I never had a witch of my own, but I always thought it'd be nice to get presents like that from them. It means they really like, trust you, or something like that. I always wondered what it'd be like to have a witch," he said softly. I hummed. 

"Well, you may not have had the chance to have a witch, but you've got me instead. I'm pretty close to a witch, right? I mean, I talk to you and take care of you guys and stuff, and sure I can't give you guys gifts, but I would if I could. I mean, now that I know it's a thing, anyways," I said. Jisung didn't look too convinced. I turned to the others, craning my head to look at them behind the park bench. "What do you guys think? I could be a good witch for Jisung right?" The ghosts all laughed and agreed. "See Jisung, I told you."

"Sorry to interrupt. Why'd you hit Seungwoo, and who are you talking to? Don't you know it's rude to talk to other people when someone is standing in front of you, obviously waiting to talk to you," the short man asked. I scoffed at him. 

"First, I don't think you are sorry. After all, I'm just a stranger. Second, Seungwoo hit me first, not my fault he's weak. Third, I'm talking to my friends, and fourth, don't you know it's rude to interrupt conversations between guys sitting on benches and his friends. Plus, you were listening to our conversation, and that's just as rude as interrupting. And people say I'm rude, honestly," I told him. He studied me again. I smirked. "Staring is also rude. How about you stop and tell me why you're really over here, hm shorty?"

"Hmm. You know, I don't think you're really that rude. You just aren't very nice," the man said. 

"Since when does taunting people and calling them short and unmanly just to get a rise out of them not count as rude," I asked curiously. The man laughed. 

"That's why Seungwoo hit you? He usually doesn't get angry," the man said in between bursts of laughing. 

"I'm Min Yoongi. The blond is Beomgyu, the noiret is Taehyun, and the brunet is Soobin. Taehyun talks with his mind, cause otherwise he can't make any noise, and Beomgyu basically has ADHD. Who are your friends," the man asked. I stared at him for a few minutes, before gesturing to everyone to come forward. 

"Well, not sure that you can see them, but Park Jisung, a mouse hybrid with an overgrowth curse, Yang Joonho, a witch, Hong Yujin, a hiker, and Yang Jeongin, a… student? I think? I don't know, it looks like he's wearing a school uniform," I said. Yoongi stared as I introduced them before nodding. 

"Yeah, you're right. I can't see them. But, I think I know your curse. Probably a lingering spirit curse. Just a warning, you'll probably be attracting ghosts for the rest of your life. And, you'll become one when you die. You know, you didn't give me your name," Yoongi said. I hummed and nodded. I stood up and let my ears flick at the noises of kids running around far off. I let my tail trail through the air as I bent over to pick up my bag. I turned to the man, smiling about how he was looking up at me now. 

"Yeah. I know," I said, shifting into my cat form and stalking off, the ghosts following in my wake and ruffling up my fur. I wondered how it looked to Yoongi and his hybrids, to just see my fur ruffling without the presence of wind.


	4. I want you to take me on a walk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was an odd sort if tradition but they followed it nonetheless. 
> 
> Until they didn't.

We developed a tradition of sorts. I would be sleeping on some bench or wandering the town, and Yoongi would find me, whether he was alone or with the other hybrids. And he'd wake me up and fall into step next to me, and we'd talk. The encounters always ended with him saying he hadn't gotten my name, and me responding that I knew. It went on nearly everyday for a month and a half, give or take a week. 

Today was another day like all the rest. I was sitting in a tree, my legs swinging in the open air beneath me. I was on the lowest branch, still high enough that no one could touch my feet unless they were taller than I was. Yujin sat on a branch next to me, Jisung sitting in between his legs with Yujin's arms around his waist. Joonho was lying on his back on a branch above us, and Jeongin was walking on the branches, occasionally grabbing them in his hands and hanging from them, or hooking his knees over them and hanging upside down, all the while giving us his big smile, the braces on his teeth glinting faintly in the sunlight. I sometimes wondered why the sun still caught on his braces, and why the wind still ruffled their hair. 

"What're you doing in that tree," a man called from below. I smiled lazily and leaned my head over the side of the branch, seeing Yoongi below us. He had on jeans and a t-shirt, with a thin, long-sleeved coat. It was getting colder, afterall. Not by much yet, as it was only September, but it would get worse. I momentarily wondered where I'd stay during the winter. 

"Just resting. It's a lot more comfortable than standing around like some weirdo," I responded. Yoongi laughed a bit. 

"I suppose you're probably right. Y'know, I still haven't gotten your name," he said. I frowned for half a second before replacing it with another lazy smile. He was saying it too early. 

"Yea, I know," I responded. He eyed me for a moment. 

"It's getting colder. You got a place to stay," the witch asked. I put a thoughtful look on my face.

"Nope. I'll just sit out the weather in some old house, probably," I said honestly. He cracked a smile. 

"I happen to live in a place that would qualify as 'some old house'. If it's an old house you want, well… what a coincidence I've got one, huh," he asked. I nodded. 

"Some coincidence indeed. Y'know, Yoongi, I don't think I've ever met someone quite so persistent as you," I said. He scratched the back of his head and looked at the ground for a moment. He nodded and looked back up at me, and his eyes were full of resolve. 

"Yea, I guess so. Look, I don't even care that you won't tell me your name. But, the other boys trust you, a lot, and they really like you. I do too, even though you can be pretty rude at times. It'd make the four of us really happy if you came to live with us, y'know? And you wouldn't have to struggle for food, or-"

"Look, Yoongi. I appreciate the offer, I really do. But, the only time I ever lived with someone was when I was a kitten. For most of my life as a cat, I lived in the alleys. I understand what it's like out here, and I know how to take care of myself. Sure, it was rough at first, being a hybrid. In fact, I'd be dead right now if I were cursed with something else. But, I like it out here. I don't think I'd be able to live with you guys. It's too different from what I'm used to. I'm sorry, I really am, because I know how much you guys want me to just go with you. But, right now at least, I can't," I said. I stood up on the branch and glanced at the ghosts arrayed around me. They'd all been watching, wondering. Our conversations had always intrigued them. I went to climb farther up the tree, but Yoongi's voice halted me.

"Okay. Okay. Could I at least have your name," he asked. I tightened my hand around the branch and looked back at him. I hadn't expected so much emotion to be on his face. I sighed, and hung my head forward a bit, just enough that my forehead was barely touching the rough bark. I stood up straight again after a moment and nodded. I looked at him again.

"My name is Kai," I said. And then I'd shifted into my cat form and I was out of his sight.


	5. I was far from cute before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hard for human to let things go. Kai learns this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trouble in paradise?!?
> 
> Also it's short as hell not sorry

It wasn't even a full week later that I was ambushed in my sleep. Someone dragged me off the bench I was sleeping on and put a hand over my mouth. There was a rag in the hand, and as I took panicked breaths, I noticed that the world was getting blurry. The ghosts were freaking out.

"I can't possess them!"

"What's going on?!"

"Have they got some kind of charm?"

"What about a cross, are they wearing a cross?"

"That only keeps demons out, idiot!"

"How was I…to know, I only watched movies…possessing stuff! Not all of us…witches…we died!"

"…fighting, this isn't…anything! We need to…Kai!"

"How? Who…him? He's just…homeless guy…people!"

"Most people! That's it! …find Yoongi!"

"…does he live? Who knows…lives?"

"I think it's…"

And then I blacked out.


	6. right next to you, make room for me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They were so worried. More worried than he thought they'd be. 
> 
> He hadn't even expected to be found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kidnappings, bullying(?), what do you call it when someone beats u up when ur tied to a chair and blindfolded?, rescue!!, and Taehyun talks more this time!!

I woke up tied to a chair, with a gag in my mouth and a blindfold over my eyes.

"Not so tough now that you can't fight back, huh?"

"Doesn't matter how tall you are or how strong you are if you can't hit us."

"He can't even see us. How's it feel to be pathetic? How's it feel to have no control over yourself or what's going to happen to you? Huh?!"

_smack_

The sound registered before the pain did. One of them had hit me.

"Where's the mean little quip, huh? Your trademark rudeness seems to be failing you."

Their voices sounded around me, like they were moving in circles. Only two were talking, but there were three sets of feet. Seungwoo wasn't saying a word.

I felt breath fan over my face before I felt the heat of another person near my cheek. The breath blew hot over my ear as an accented voice spoke.

"You think it's funny to make fun of people. You think it's funny to rob them and make them feel less than they are. You relish in the feeling of being better than everyone else, I know you do."

This time, the pain registered before the sound did. All I could think was, _when did he start hitting so hard?_ Color bloomed beneath my eyelids as the blond moved away from me, out of the way of the light overhead.

Even as a cat, my voice had always been my defense. It had never failed me, never failed to intimidate anyone trying to go against me. But now, I couldn't speak, I couldn't do anything but listen and feel. And smell.

I smelled the scent of anger on the three men. I smelled the distress, desperation, worry of someone else. Who was that?

The room filled with the tangy scent of shock as a door banged open. It was quickly overpowered by the sour smell of hatred. The distress, the worry and desperation was still there, even as the person radiating hate so strongly started speaking in some unintelligible language. _What was that?_

Nimble fingers started untying the knots keeping me in the chair. When my hands were free, the fingers went to the knots around my ankles, and I took the gag and blindfold off. When I opened my eyes, the light blinded me until my eyes adjusted. What I saw was Yoongi, eyes glowing red ever-so-faintly, and Taehyun, cat eyes flashing in the light as he worked. When I was free, he pulled me up into a hug before pulling back a bit, looking over me. Anytime the light shone in his eyes, I could see the eyes he had as a cat, those big, dark blue eyes, so dark they were almost black. I'd never seen eyes like that on a cat, not even him. I'd never seen his cat form, yet I knew those eyes that flashed at me were his.

 _"God, we were so worried. Why wouldn't you go with Yoongi? If you had, this wouldn't have happened! You're lucky your ghost friends found someone they could possess, or you'd have been in real trouble,"_ the noiret said angrily. I smiled faintly.

"Calm down, Taehyun. I've been in worse fights than this," I said, pointing at my eye. He scowled, and opened his mouth, but Yoongi cut him off.

"Come on, boys, let's go home. Kai, your friends are waiting for us at our house," the man said. His nose was bleeding, and the other men had all fallen to the floor at some point. I gaped at them.

"What'd you do," I asked, prodding Seungwoo with my foot. Yoongi sighed.

"I just put them to sleep, come on," he said sternly.

"If that's the case, then why is your nose bleeding," I asked as I followed Yoongi and the noiret.

"So maybe one of them punched me before I finished the spell, big deal! They're all asleep now, what's it matter," the witch asked grumpily, even huffing and crossing his arms. I laughed.

"Oh, nothing. It's just, I bet you'll look great with a bruised up nose!"


	7. feel like I'm your cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not so bad living with them, even if it's a bit hard to get used to. Maybe having something to do will help a bit.

"You know, Kai, your curse is pretty rare. It's really hard to pull off for most witches just starting off, and most times witches try it too early so they get maimed or killed when they mess up the curse. Which means that there are a lot of ghosts in the world, and not nearly enough people to get rid of them," Yoongi said one afternoon. I'd ended up moving in with them after a good three hours of debate between me and the ghosts that followed me around. 

"Yeah, so what," I responded. I'd been trying to just rest peacefully on the couch, stretched out lengthwise on it. I was too long for it, of course, so my feet hung off the end. Yoongi pushed my feet off onto the floor, and I nearly fell off the couch. I sat up and glared at him, though it was partially my fault this always ended up happening. Yoongi had learned a while ago that I did not respond to 'please'. 

"So, I was thinking-"

"Finally! I was beginning to think that you took no consideration in your actions," I said, grinning widely at him. He stared at me, clearly unamused. 

"Soobin sells his services making wards and ward amulets for people. I let him keep whatever money he makes from that. Taehyun sells his lace sometimes, and he'll occasionally tutor witches in that private school down the road. Beomgyu just lets people use his mana and gives all the money to me, cause he doesn't care. So, I was thinking about how you could earn some money. I did some research, and most legit ghost hunters have had your curse. And ghost hunters make a lot of money sometimes, depending on how good they are," Yoongi said. I stared at him. 

"So, you want me to go around killing ghosts," I asked flatly. His eyes widened and he shook his head, holding out his hands. 

"No no no, you've got it all wrong. Ghost hunters don't always kill ghosts. You can just help them resolve their issues, help them move on. That's why ghosts exist, for the most part; they've got something holding them back. Of course, you'll probably have to travel around a lot, since ghosts are kind of everywhere…" the witch trailed off. 

"Hmm, well, I don't think travelling the world sounds very appealing. It sounds really exhausting, actually. I'd rather just deal with ghosts in Korea. I might consider dealing with Asian ghosts in general, but I'd need some kind of translator. I only speak Korean," I told him. Yoongi looked at me in shock. 

"Wait, you're really going for this? I thought, I didn't think-"

"Hey, shut up. I wanna nap. Also, when are we meeting Soobin's boyfriend? I thought you said he was coming over soon," I said. 

"They aren't dating, they're just-"

"Friends, yeah sure. Gotten the speech already. Trust me, Soobin doesn't notice it as much 'cause of the whole muted emotions thing, but he totally has a crush on that Lu kid," I said dismissively. Yoongi sighed. 

"Well, if your ghost friends wanna meet him too, you're gonna have to wait a bit. We still haven't gotten the wards figured out for making the ghosts visible yet," Yoongi said. I sighed. 

"You guys sure you don't need me to like, touch it or something. Cause with the amount of progress you're making, it seems like me touching it will do about as much as Soobin touching it," I said, somewhat passive-aggressive about the whole thing. Yujin, Jeongin, Joonho, and Jisung were dying to be able to talk to everyone, and as it had been a few weeks with no progress, they were getting short with me. It wasn't even my fault!

"Maybe you can touch it later. Soobin is in work mode right now, and you bothering him might throw it off or something," Yoongi said. Though his words sounded serious, there was a certain lightness to his voice that told me he was struggling not to laugh. 

"Yeah whatever. We'll meet him when we meet him, the ghosts will be seen when it's done, life is great, I'm going to sleep. Goodbye," I told him sarcastically. It was just one of those days.


	8. all I see is you in my eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ghost hunting wasn't the easiest job, but it was one he did happily, and one that gave him clear satisfaction. How could you not be happy that you were helping people move on?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter!! Just a taste of how he helps ghosts!! Mentions of someone being run over, possession, and blood. Bonus points to whoever guesses who he was there for in the first place 👀 (I mean like the original reason Kai was in Thailand) 
> 
> It's kunten time!!

So yes, I started ghost hunting. I didn't kill the ghosts, because that wasn't going to solve anything. I mean it would've gotten rid of them, but it wouldn't help the ghosts themselves. They'd just end up in Purgatory or something like that. 

No, I helped them solve their issues. Let them use my body to apologize to people important to them in their life, let them cry on my shoulder when they saw their loved ones had died and already gone to the afterlife, stuff like that. Today, I was in Thailand. I had an earring in my left ear, the cat one, that had been enchanted to translate stuff into Korean for me. It supposedly worked the other way as well, translating my words into the language other people spoke. This ghost was Chinese, but didn't speak it well, and though he was born in Thailand, he spoke to me mostly in a mix of English and Korean. 

"Mr. Kai-"

"Just Kai, kid," I said. 

"But Mr. Kai, my parents to me to call people 'Mister' or 'Sir'. They said that's what's polite," the ghost said. I sighed. 

"Fine, fine. Whatever. You said you were waiting for someone," I asked. He nodded enthusiastically. 

"Yes, Kun told me to wait right here for him. He told me he was getting me a surprise, and that he'd be right back," the ghost said brightly. I studied him more. He was young, probably not a lot older than 16 or 17. His black hair was matted with blood, and his shirt clung to his skin in places stained dark. He apparently hadn't gotten the hang of his human form, because this was very obviously his ghost form. Whatever had happened to him, it had been bad. 

"Okay. Can you tell me your name? And more about Kun," I asked. The ghost immediately looked suspicious. 

"What for? You aren't gonna hurt him, are you," the ghost asked, his eyes narrowed warily. I shook my head and sighed. 

"No, I'm not going to hurt him. I'm going to try to find him and bring him here, so you guys can talk," I said. The ghost's face was immediately brightened by a smile. It pulled at the scratches on his face. 

"Oh, okay then. My name is Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul, but that's not what Kun calls me. He calls me Ten, cause that's a lot easier. Hmm, Kun. Well his whole name is Qian Kun, and we're kinda boyfriends. Not officially, but enough for it to count, y'know? Kun is perfect. He's got brown hair, and dimples when he smiles, and his hands are bigger than mine so when he holds my hand-"

"Okay, that's enough. I don't need that much. What about a job? An address," I asked. The boy frowned and shook his head. 

"No, we aren't really old enough for jobs. We're still in school, y'know? He lives with his parents. I'd take you there, but he told me to wait here. I can't leave," the ghost said. 

"Hey, I'm sure he wouldn't mind you taking me to his house. After all, we're going there to talk to him, right? And if he's not there, then you can come back here," I offered. The ghost thought for a second, and I could see the inner battle fighting itself out on his face. It actually looked like it kind of hurt, and I was about to tell him to stop thinking so hard. 

"Well, okay. I guess that'll be fine. I mean, we're going to see him, like you said! He can't be mad about that," the ghost said hopefully. I nodded, and he grabbed my hand and started skipping off. It was apparently atypical for the ghosts to actually be able to touch me. 

After a few minutes of walking along the streets of Bangkok, we stopped in front of a cozy looking house. It seemed old, though not as old as my house. The ghost stopped on the porch and let go of my hand. He didn't look very happy anymore.

"I forgot how close it was," he said with a frown. I sighed and knocked on the door. I could hear little feet running around inside the house, and I was suddenly scared for the ghost. He didn't believe that he was dead, and I didn't know how long it had been since he died. What if the teenage half-boyfriend he was waiting for had grown up and moved on? I hated it when I was right. 

The man who opened the door had brown hair, and he smiled at me kindly. He had dimples, and I noticed that the hand he had rested on the doorframe did seem to be big. I glanced at the ghost, who was staring at the floorboards of the porch. I looked back at him, and he looked confused now. I gave him an apologetic smile. 

"Uhm, hi. Are you Qian Kun," I asked, holding out a hand. He took it and shook my hand, inclining his head a bit. 

"Yes, I am. And you are," he asked. 

"I'm here to talk about Ten," I said softly. The man's expression faltered, and his grip slackened just a bit. 

"Uhm, why don't you come in," he asked, holding the door open wider. I glanced back at the ghost again. He had his arms wrapped about his waist, and he was staring at Kun. His eyes were wet. 

When I stepped into his sitting room, I discovered the origin of the small feet running around. He had kids. 

"Boys, go play in your rooms," he told the two boys sternly. They whined, but went to their bedrooms when Kun threatened to call their mother. 

"Where…how did you hear about Ten? I've never seen you around here," Kun said. I sighed. 

"I'm a ghost hunter of sorts. I help ghosts move on, usually because people have called with a ghost they want to get rid of. Ten though…I just met him on the street. I was here for a different ghost, but that one was easy. I got her to move on quickly. Ten says he was waiting for you. He still thinks he's alive," I said. Kun sighed and sat back in the chair, running a hand down his face. 

"God, that…it's been 11 years, I've already moved on and, I've got kids and a wife. I can't, I'm not-," he cut himself off. He took a few deep breaths and wiped at his eyes. "I'm not strong enough to think about him again." He sounded very small, and very hurt. 

"Can you at least explain to me what he was to you? What happened to him," I asked. Kun sighed. 

"Ten was practically my boyfriend. We both really liked each other, and I honestly thought we'd be together forever. He was the only one I ever wanted to be with. We were on a date that day, and I had a surprise for him. A kitten, a really cute one he'd seen at a pet store a few times. He really wanted it, and I got it for him secretly. I told him to wait at the side of the street for me, I told him I'd be right back. I went to my car to get the cat, I had it in my hands and everything. On the way back, I was just around the corner, I heard shouting. I didn't think much of it, I just thought it was another fight. Fights broke out sometimes back then, it wasn't uncommon," he said. Another tear ran down his face. He didn't bother to brush it away, just took a deep breath and continued. 

"I turned the corner, and I saw a crowd gathered around something in the street. I couldn't see Ten in the crowd, he was so short that I thought maybe he was just being covered up by the others. I held the cat closer and pushed through the crowd, yelling his name. I could hear sirens in the distance, but I thought it was the police. I thought it was a fight that the crowd was surrounding. When I made it to the middle of the circle, I couldn't believe it. It was Ten, all bloody and broken. He was barely breathing. Apparently, there had been a fight, and one of them had accidentally shoved him into the street. Right in front of a car," he was crying profusely now. 

"Every day, I regret that I told him to wait there. I should have taken him to the car with me. If I'd done that, he'd still be alive. And apparently, he wouldn't be a ghost either, if I'd done that," he said. I sat quietly as I waited for Kun to stop crying. 

"Kun, he can't move on. I think you need to go back to him on the street. Take the cat, if you still have it, and take your kids. I can help you, but he's going to be on that street for the rest of eternity, especially now that I know about him. If you die before he moves on, then he's got no chance. I won't be able to forget him, and he'll be stuck here," I said softly. Kun nodded. 

"I'll go get the boys, and th-the cat," he said. I nodded. 

"Try to park as close to the same spot as you can. I'll be there with him, okay," I asked. Kun nodded, and I left the house. The ghost was still there. He looked up hopefully when I came out. 

"Let's go back, Ten," I said softly. His face fell, and a few tears fell from his eyes. I held his hand this time, and the trip to his place on the street was much different than the trip away from it had been. When he was standing where I'd first seen him, he let go of my hand with a sigh. 

"Thanks for trying Mr. Kai. His parents never did like me very much," he said quietly. I saw Kun coming around the corner, holding a cat in his arms. His sons walked behind him, looking very confused. Kun came to a stop in front of Ten, and I moved to the side. He looked up, curious, and his eyes fell on Kun. His jaw dropped. "Mr. Kai, is that-"

"Where is he," Kun asked softly. I bit my lip. 

"Ten, if you want to talk to him, you can possess me. Just until you finish talking with him though, okay," I asked the ghost. He nodded enthusiastically and promptly possessed me. 

"Kun! You're here," the ghost said using my mouth. It was always weird to hear another voice come out of my mouth. Kun smiled softly. 

"I am. I brought you that kitty you wanted. And my sons," Kun said softly. Ten took the cat in my arms and smiled when it nuzzled my face. He looked curiously at Kun's sons. 

"They're very pretty, your sons," Ten said. Kun smiled. 

"I've always thought so," the man said with a little smile. He ruffled one of the boys' hair.

"I missed you, Kun. I waited for so long," Ten said. Kun gave the smallest of smiles as he nodded. 

"I missed you too. You didn't have to wait, though. I came back, it was just…a little too late," the man said. Ten smiled, and closed my eyes. A tear fell from them. 

"Thank you," the ghost whispered. He stepped out of my body and pressed a light kiss to Kun's lips. The ghost shone brilliantly, like light reflected between a million diamonds. And then the mirage shattered, and the ghost had ascended.

**Author's Note:**

> [CuriousCat](https://curiouscat.me/catfacekathryn)
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/catfacekathryn?s=09)
> 
> Come find me here!!


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